Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bondreyel’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Xerochrysum  plant named ‘Bondreyel’, characterized by its compact, upright, mounding and uniform plant habit; freely flowering habit; inflorescences with bright yellow-colored involucral bracts; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Xerochrysum bracteatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Bondreyel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Xerochrysum plant, botanically known as Xerochrysum bracteatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bondreyel’. The genus Xerochrysum was formerly classified within the genus Bracteantha, that is, the specific epithet, Xerochrysum bracteatum, was previously known as Bracteantha bracteata.

The new Xerochrysum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create and develop new compact Xerochrysum cultivars with uniformly mounded plant habit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescences.

The new Xerochrysum plant originated from an open-pollination by the Inventor in 2000 of the Bracteantha bracteata ‘Rose Pink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,923, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Xerochrysum bracteatum, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Xerochrysum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in March, 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Xerochrysum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since April, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Xerochrysum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Xerochrysum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bondreyel’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bondreyel’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Xerochrysum:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, mounding and uniform plant habit.     -   2. Freely flowering habit.     -   3. Inflorescences with bright yellow-colored involucral bracts.     -   4. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the         foliar plane.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Xerochrysum differed from plants of the female parent, ‘Rose Pink’, primarily in involucral bract color as plants of ‘Rose Pink’ have dark pink-colored involucral bracts.

Plants of the new Xerochrysum can be compared to plants of the Bracteantha bracteata ‘OHB003790’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,629. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Xerochrysum differed from plants of ‘OHB003790’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Xerochrysum were more compact than plants         of ‘OHB003790’.     -   2. Plants of the new Xerochrysum had smaller leaves than plants         of ‘OHB003790’.     -   3. Plants of the new Xerochrysum had smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘OHB003790’.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Xerochrysum had more         involucral bracts and disc florets than inflorescences of plants         of ‘OHB003790’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Xerochrysum plant.

These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Xerochrysum plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bondreyel’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Bondreyel’ .

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan during the spring in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Xerochrysum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night averaged 13° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about four months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Xerochrysum bracteatum ‘Bondreyer’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Bracteantha bracteata ‘Rose Pink’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,923.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Xerochrysum             bracteatum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About six to nine days at 20° C. to             25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About three weeks at             20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright, mounding and             uniform plant habit with inflorescences held above the             foliage on strong peduncles; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 16.1 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 29.7 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit             with about eight lateral branches per plant. Length: About             14 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length: About 9.6 mm.             Aspect: Upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;             sessile. Length: About 5.6 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing leaves,             upper surface: Close to 137B. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to 144C. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,             close to 144C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Double-type inflorescence form with lanceolate             involucral bracts; involucral bracts and disc florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum; inflorescences             positioned above the foliar plane on strong peduncles;             inflorescences face mostly upright.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; about nine             inflorescences per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—In Japan, plants begin to flower about 14             weeks after planting and in the garden, plant flower             continuously from the spring through autumn.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about 18 days on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 165B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.3 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.7 cm.         -   Involucral bracts.—Shape: Lanceolate. Length: About 1.1 cm             to 1.7 cm. Width: About 1.2 mm to 5.4 mm. Apex: Acute. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; papery.             Orientation: Initially upright becoming horizontal with             development. Number of involucral bracts per inflorescence:             About 370 in about 15 to 20 whorls. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 9A; towards the apex,             close to 23A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 9A overlain with close to 67A.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the             receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 2.9 mm. Number of disc             florets per inflorescence: About 680. Color: Immature: Close             to 2A. Mature: Close to 23A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 6.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Tomentose.             Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs (present on disc florets             only).—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret: About five.             Stamen length: About 6.8 mm. Anther shape: Lanceolate.             Anther color: Close to 23A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 23A. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 1.1 cm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 23A. Style             color: Close to 155A. Ovary color: Close to 155A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Xerochrysum have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Xerochrysum. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Xerochrysum have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about     35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Xerochrysum plant named ‘Bondreyel’ as illustrated and described. 